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    Writing courses, free resources and webinars, and developmental editing Writing courses, free resources and webinars, and developmental editing
    • Home
    • About
      • About
      • Facilitators
      • Testimonials
      • Contact
      • How to enrol
    • Courses
      • Venice Writing Retreat
      • Creative Writing Course
      • Stow-on-the-Wold Writing Weekend
      • A memoir weekend and a writing retreat in the Karoo
    • Shop
    • Free resources
      • Free offerings for writers
      • Downloadable writing resources
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    Tag Archives for: "what makes writing bad"
     Monday Motivation: Three ways in which your writing could misfire – and how to fix it
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    By Richard Beynon
    In Monday Motivation, Richard Beynon's blog
    Posted June 3, 2019

    Monday Motivation: Three ways in which your writing could misfire – and how to fix it

    Mishaps happen all the time in writing. Most of them are little niggles, easily erased during a light edit. In one chapter the stable boy has a shock of blond […]

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     Writing Secrets: The one word you should not be using
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    By Jo-Anne Richards
    In Jo-Anne Richard's blog, Tips for Writers
    Posted April 24, 2019

    Writing Secrets: The one word you should not be using

    I saw spots before my eyes as I was struck over the head by yet another “as” construction. I fully admit it, I’m an as-ist. I have developed an aversion […]

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    ✍️ Transform your real-world insights into pow ✍️ Transform your real-world insights into powerful scenes with these writing tips from Richard Beynon. Swipe for practical techniques to elevate your storytelling. #WritingCommunity #WritingTips #AmWriting
    🔍 Struggling to plot your murder mystery? Lear 🔍 Struggling to plot your murder mystery? Learn how focusing on your antagonist can transform your story.Here are some practical tips and a targeted writing exercise. . . . WritingCommunity #WritingTips #MysteryWriter #AmWriting #WritersOfInstagram
    📝 The Writer's Dual Consciousness Ever caught 📝 The Writer's Dual Consciousness Ever caught yourself living a moment while simultaneously crafting it into a story? You're not alone. This week we're exploring how writers navigate being both inside and outside their stories. Writing Tips * When you’re experiencing a moment that feels “story-worthy,” resist the immediate urge to mentally frame it as a scene. Instead, stay present in the experience first, then later set aside dedicated time to reflect on it as a writer. This helps maintain the authenticity of both the experience and your eventual writing. * Keep a “dual perspective” journal where you record events twice: first as you experienced them in the moment, and then from your more analytical writer’s perspective. This practice helps you understand how your observing mind transforms raw experience into narrative. * When writing about personal experiences, explicitly acknowledge both your participating and observing selves. Try writing the same scene twice – once from deep within the experience, and once from a more distant, observational viewpoint. This can add richness and depth to your narrative. Writing Exercise Choose a significant memory from your past. Write about it twice in 15-minute sessions: First, write it as if you’re reliving it in the present moment, focusing purely on immediate sensations and emotions. Then, write it again as if you’re watching it happen to someone else, noting patterns and meanings that weren’t apparent in the moment. Compare the two versions – what different truths emerge from each perspective? . . . #MondayWritingMotivation #memoirwriting #writingprocess #writingtips #writingcommunity #amwriting
    The many jobs that the setting of your story can d The many jobs that the setting of your story can do Tip 14/14 Sensory immersion Detailed descriptions of place engage readers' senses, making the story more vivid and immersive. Authors like Proust excel at this. Here’s a passage from his magnus opus: In Search of Lost Time: "The Swanns’ drawing-room was a room such as one no longer sees today, lofty and spacious, of the kind which expressed a certain social status, and which must have been kept in repair at a considerable cost. An odour of old furniture, of curtains saturated with dust and perfumes, of tapestry permeated with the emanations of winter fires, brought to mind the tranquil dignity of aristocratic households where life is led in seclusion, amid family relics. Against the walls the large, empty armchairs, covered in silk, upholstered with light green damask and embroidered with multi-coloured flowers, were stationed in front of the fireplace, forming a kind of solemn tribunal. The flames crackled and sent reflections flickering up to the ceiling, where the ceiling-rose cast shadows like the petals of some enormous flower opening slowly to reveal itself." Detail, remember, is what the living blood of narrative fiction. Engage as many of the reader’s sense and plunge them into your setting, and your story. . . . #SensoryImmersion #Detail #StorytellingTips #StorySettings
    Writing Wisdom from Venice 16/16 Writing with rest Writing Wisdom from Venice 16/16 Writing with restraint is about holding back, not telling your reader too much. But restraint also means we should try to write more obliquely. It’s a form of showing, rather than telling. Give us the evidence – the details which we need to interpret – but don’t actually do the interpreting. Let your reader do that. Show the smoke, let us infer the fire. #WritingRetreat #VeniceWritersRetreat #Creativity #AmWriting
    ✨ Light the Dark: Free Short Story Writing Works ✨ Light the Dark: Free Short Story Writing Workshops ✨ Spark your creativity with Short.Sharp.Stories! Explore what POWER means to you - from speech to speed, electricity to creation. 🎯 Develop your anthology submission 📝 Hands-on writing experience 💡 Fresh content each session Join us: Nov 23 & 30 14:00-16:00 SAST Register via the link in bio . . . #writingcompetition #writingcontest #writingworkshop #shortstory
    Writing Wisdom from Venice 15/16 Restraint is an Writing Wisdom from Venice 15/16 Restraint is an essential ingredient for suspense in your writing. Give your readers a nibble at the facts, rather than the whole leg of lamb, and they’ll be hungry for more. #WritingRetreat #VeniceWritersRetreat #WritingTips #AmWriting
    The many jobs that the setting of your story can d The many jobs that the setting of your story can do Tip 14/14 Sensory immersion Detailed descriptions of place engage readers' senses, making the story more vivid and immersive. Authors like Proust excel at this. Here’s a passage from his magnus opus: 'In Search of Lost Time': "The Swanns’ drawing-room was a room such as one no longer sees today, lofty and spacious, of the kind which expressed a certain social status, and which must have been kept in repair at a considerable cost. An odour of old furniture, of curtains saturated with dust and perfumes, of tapestry permeated with the emanations of winter fires, brought to mind the tranquil dignity of aristocratic households where life is led in seclusion, amid family relics. Against the walls the large, empty armchairs, covered in silk, upholstered with light green damask and embroidered with multi-coloured flowers, were stationed in front of the fireplace, forming a kind of solemn tribunal. The flames crackled and sent reflections flickering up to the ceiling, where the ceiling-rose cast shadows like the petals of some enormous flower opening slowly to reveal itself." Detail, remember, is what the living blood of narrative fiction. Engage as many of the reader’s sense and plunge them into your setting, and your story. #StorytellingTips #StorySettings #AmWriting
    Writing Wisdom from Venice 14/16 Readers enjoy fi Writing Wisdom from Venice 14/16 Readers enjoy figuring things out. They’re flattered by the realisation that the writer believes them intelligent enough to work things out for themselves. This is why it’s almost always better to give your readers too little than too much. . . . #WritingRetreat #VeniceWritersRetreat #Creativity #AmWriting
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    NEWS & TIPS
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      The Challenge of Choosing a Book Title
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    • From Life to Page: Why Your Social Skills Are Your Secret Weapon
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      Your best writing year starts here
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      Best of 2024: Finding Your Creative Flow Through Careful Observation
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